Portable hoisting unit

ABSTRACT

A foldable base structure has a base frame that is fastened to a roof or other deck and a standard that is pivoted on the frame is raised to a substantially vertical position, in which it is rigidly supported by a brace pivoted at its one end to the frame and fastenable at its other end to the standard. A separate removable crane unit has a post which telescopes in the standard, and swivels relative thereto, and it carries a motor and a winch driven thereby on its upper end in nicely balanced relationship to the post, the hoisting line extending from the winch over a pulley on the outer end of the frame in which the motor and winch are provided. The motor is reversible by manual control and a sprag is manually controlled to lock the winch through its drive gearing in a selected position for safer handling of a load. A hoisting hook of novel design is attached to the line to carry the load.

he frame and fastenable at its other end to the standard A separate removable crane unit has a post which telescopes in the standard, and swivels relative thereto,

[ 1 June 20, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnventor: Gene F. Sullivan, Dubuque, Iowa 911,046 11/1962 Great Britain......

Assigneez Howard W. Brown, Dubuque, Iowa Primary Emminer Harvey-C. HomSby Feb. 26, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Merle F. Maffei pp No 14 493 Attorney-Andrew F. Wintercorn [57] ABSTRACT U.S. Cl...............................254/l42, 254/143, 22l42/l24357, A foldable base Structure has a base frame that is fastened to a I t C B66 23/60 roof or other deck and a standard that is pivoted on the frame g 45: 7 145 is raised to a substantially vertical position, in which it is l87/85 rigidly supported byabrace pivoted at its one end tot References Cned and it carries a motor and a UNITED STATES PATENTS winch driven thereby on its upper end in nicely balanced relationship to the post, the hoisting line extending from the winch United States Patent Sullivan [54] PORTABLE HOISTING UNIT 22 Filed:

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a WM um .S a wpflmw .m mmh ot t u a a 0 a BSTBMR 67 2 9 02233566 99999999 HHHHHHHH 5567027 7 228 6 56987255 55988932 68206625 111111233 PATENTEDJUHZO m2 3,671,015 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR:

GENE F SULLIVAN ATTORN EY PATENTEDJUHO 1972 SHEET 20F 2 v Us.

INVENTOR GENE F SULLIVAN '1 i WW ATTORNEY PORTABLE I-IOISTING UNIT This invention relates to a portable power operable hoisting unit especially designed and adapted for use by roofers and others having similar problems in setup work and thereafter in lifting or lowering materials up to heights of 200 feet or more, this making it important that the hoisting unit bereduced to two sub-assemblies easily put together and taken apart and each light enough to carry around and transport easily in a car or truck, it being especially important also that the unit can be easily and safely set up and adjusted as necessary on the roof or wherever it is to be used temporarily and that it have secure anchoring for safety in the handling of all anticipated loads.

Another object is to provide a thoroughly safe and efficient hoistinghook or bail for use on the hoisting line, which is designed to handle bricks, roofing and building material, an important feature of this hook being its pivoted arm designed to swing inwardly relative to the open side of the hook to retain the material securely in the hook with a force proportionate to the weight of the material by virtue of the fact that the arm has the hoisting line attached to an eye provided on an extension of the arm on the opposite side of its pivot, a further feature of the hook being that it also is designed to cradle its load behind the retaining arm and on a vertical center line coincident with the hoisting line, whereby to reduce likelihood of the load being accidentally spilled.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable power operated hoisting unit made in accordance with my invention, showing the load carrying hook in use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional detail on' the line 2-2 of FIG. l showing the rotary adjustability of the rods that carry the nailing plates on their outer ends, permitting tilting of these plates with respect to one another, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1, as when the unit is set on the peak of a roof instead of on one side as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the upper part of the hoisting unit from the opposite side seen in FIG. 1 with the guard removed in order to better illustrate the construction, showing certain parts broken away to still further improve the illustration, the hoisting hook being shown here again as carrying a load in cradled relation to the hook, as indicated by the dot-and-dash center line, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in these four views.

Referring to the drawings, the portable hoisting unit of my invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 5 and comprises, in one subassembly, a portable foldable and adjustable base structure 6 that includes the tubular standard 7 in which the vertical post 8 on the other sub-assembly is slidable and detachably mounted for swivel support of that sub-assembly, which includes the crane section 9 in which the reversible electric motor 10 and winch ll operably by reduction gearing indicated at 12 are carried, along with the pulley 13 over which the hoisting line 14 extends from the winch 11 to the hook or bail 15 that carries the load L. The weight of the motor 10, which is carried intermediate the ends of the shorter am 16 of the crane, is substantially balanced relative to the post 8 by the winch II and its drive gearing mounted, as at 17, on the other side of the post, and by the longer arm 18 on that side of the post 8 with its guide pulley 13 carried on its outer end. This balanced loading makes it "an easier matter for an operator to handle the crane when inserting the post 8 or taking it out of its supporting standard 7 or when carrying the crane about. The collar 19 that is welded to'the post 8 just below the crane frame 16-18 serves as a bearing for swivel support of the crane 9 relative to the standard 7 and base 6, allowing the man on the ground with the lead line 20 to swing the crane to the right or left as the need for it may arise in hoisting or lowering a load. lnmoving the crane section 9 from one place to another, it being obviously heavier than the base section 6, one can use the post 8 as a handle to hoist the motor end up onto one shoulder with either of the arms 16 and 18 resting comfortably on the shoulder.

The man working the lead line 20 on the ground will, of course, work as one of a two-man team with a hoist operator on the roof or other elevated platform where the hoist unit 5 is set up, the second man operating the switch lever 20 on the motor control box 21 one way from the normal vertical neutral or off position for forward" running of motor 10 in the ascent of the hook 15 with the load L and the other way from neutral for reverse" in the descent of the hook with the load. Motor 10 has its power cable C suitably connected to an extension cord (not shown) that in turn is connected to a source of electric current. A lever 22 pivoted at 23 relative to the frame 17 of the winch is also switched by the operator to engage a sprag hook 24 between teeth of the drive. pinion 25 to lock the winch l l by means of the driven gear 26, when, for example, the hook 15 with load L reaches the roof level and it is advisable for safety reasons to lock the winch while the hook 15 is pulled in and its load is being taken 08'. Pinion 25 is fixed on'shaft 27 that is driven by a pulley 28 that has a belt 29 extending over it from the drive pulley 30 on the armature shaft 31 of the motor 10. The gearing 25-26 was previously referred to as the reduction gearing l2. Lever 22 is normally locked by a leaf spring catch 32 in a retracted vertical position by engagement in a notch 33 in said lever. A guard 34 suitably supported on brackets 35 and 36 relative to the frame 17 and base of motor 10, respectively, encloses the belt 29 and the driving and driven pulleys 30 and 28, respectively, so there is no danger of the operator or some other workman being injured thereby.

The base structure 6 comprises a generally U-shaped tubular frame 37, the welded cross-portion 38 of which is braced by a parallel member 39 also welded at its opposite ends to the two legs of the U-frame 37. The standard 7, previously mentioned, has a cross-bar 40 welded to the lower end thereof which is swiveled at opposite ends in coaxially spaced bearings 41 welded to the cross-bar 38. In a similar manner the crossbar 39 has welded thereto bearings 42 in coaxially spaced relation in which is swiveled the opposite end portions of a crossbar 43 welded to the lower end of a tubular brace-bar 44 that is approximately about half the length of the standard 7 and is 46 provided in longitudinally spaced relation in the opposite I side walls of an elongated channel member 47 welded to the adjacent side of the standard 7 longitudinally thereof. The pin 45 is suitably releasably locked in any one of seven different settings afforded by the holes 46 by means of a spring wire U- shaped yoke 48 that has pivotal connection at one end with a head (not shown) on one end of the pin 45 and has an eye 49 on its other end detachably engagable over the other end of the pin 45 by merely spreading the arms of the yoke 48 sufficiently to make such connection. Thus, assuming that the roof, indicated at R, is inclined at a given angle relative to the standard 7 where, to position the standard 7 substantially vertical, it requires entering the pin 45 in the third from the bottom set of holes 46 in the channel 47, as shown, the standard 7 v is assured of good support in that position when nails or other tending through slots 54in the inner end portions of the rods 52, this being adequate adjustability to suit the pitch of any roof when the base is set astride the peak or ridge of the roof. Before nailing, it is advisable to test the anchoring surface, including sheathing, to be sure the deck" is sound enough and that nails will hold. On a given pitch that requires toe boards, roof jacks or scaffolding, several courses of shingles are required before nailing the base. When working on metal or concrete decks, the base 37 should be weighted down at least 200 pounds.

The hook or bail comprises two generally U-shaped frame members 55 disposed in spaced parallel relationship, each having one leg 56 shorter than the other leg 57, the shorter legs 56 being uppermost and having a cross-bar 58 welded to an interconnecting the outer ends thereof, this bar 58 being in spaced parallel relation to a cross-brace 59 welded in place at opposite ends. A bearing 60 is rotatable on the cross-bar 58 and is welded to one leg 61 of a generally L- shaped load retaining arm 62 intermediate its ends, the other leg of the arm 62 bearing against the load L, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, confining the load between the arm 62 and the inner end 64 of the hook or bail 15. A hook 65 that is attached to the outer end of the hoisting line 14, as indicated at 66, is entered in a hole 67 provided in the inner end of the leg 61, so that the inward pressure of the arm 62 for retaining the load in the hook 15 is directly proportionate to the weight of the load inasmuch as the weight of the load is suspended on the hook '65. Another cross-brace 68 in spaced parallel relation to brace 59 is welded to the two U-shaped frame members 55 near the lower ends of their cross-portions and serves as an abutment for the load placed in the hook 15 at the lowermost portion of the hook. The load usually is nearly balanced with respect to the book 65, as indicated by the dot-and-dash vertical center line in FIG. 3 and this insures safer handling of loads as there is less likelihood of dumping. Of course, the position of the retaining arm 62 changes according to the size of the load as the arm is automatically forced inwardly against the outer side of the load by the weight imposed on the line 14 and its carrier hook l5.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, this is only for the purpose of illustration, and it is to be understood that various modifications in structure will occur to a person skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. In a knockdown, portable hoisting unit, a subassembly comprising a supporting base structure comprising a substantially horizontal generally rectangular frame adapted to be fastened to a support, a standard pivoted at one end to and unfoldable from one end of said frame to an upright position, and a brace also pivoted at one end to and unfoldable from said frame in spaced relation to said standard to an upright position in inclined relationship to said standard and having means for rigidly adjustably connecting the upper end thereof to said standard intermediate the ends thereof to permit angular adjustment of said standard, and a second subassembly comprising a separate crane structure, which is removable from and applicable to said standard comprising an upright supporting post constructed for swivelled, detachable, telescoping relationship with said standard and including an elongated top frame fixed in horizontal transverse relationship to the upper end of said supporting post, a pulley rotatably mounted in one end of said top frame on a substantially horizontal axis, a hoist line extending over said pulley and downwardly therefrom to support a load to be hoisted, and a winch on said top frame on which said line is wound.

2. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, including reversible power means for turning said winch, the frame extending horizontally in opposite directions from the upper end portion of said post and carrying the reversible power means therein on one side of said post and in substantially balanced relationship to said winch which is carried in said frame on the opposite side of said post.

3. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 2, including reduction gearing connected between said winch and power means, and a manually engageable and disengageable sprag in said gearing for temporarily securing said winch against turning.

4. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and has a pair of perforated fastener plates pivotally adjustable relative to the two tubular legs of said frame on rods rotatable therein on parallel axes.

5. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein there is a cross-brace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame.

6. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and there is a crossbrace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel coplanar relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame.

7. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and there is a crossbrace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel coplanar relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame, there being other perforated fastener plates secured to the remote ends of said legs also in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame.

i I I! t t 

1. In a knockdown, portable hoisting unit, a subassembly comprising a supporting base structure comprising a substantially horizontal generally rectangular frame adapted to be fastened to a support, a standard pivoted at one end to and unfoldable from one end of said frame to an upright position, and a brace also pivoted at one end to and unfoldable from said frame in spaced relation to said standard to an upright position in inclined relationship to said standard and having means for rigidly adjustably connecting the upper end thereof to said standard intermediate the ends thereof to permit angular adjustment of said standard, and a second subassembly comprising a separate crane structure, which is removable from and applicable to said standard comprising an upright supporting post constructed for swivelled, detachable, telescoping relationship with said standard and including an elongated top frame fixed in horizontal transverse relationship to the upper end of said supporting post, a pulley rotatably mounted in one end of said top frame on a substantially horizontal axis, a hoist line extending over said pulley and downwardly therefrom to support a load to be hoisted, and a winch on said top frame on which said line is wound.
 2. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, including reversible power means for turning said winch, the frame extending horizontally in opposite directions from the upper end portion of said post and carrying the reversible power means therein on one side of said post and in substantially balanced relationship to said winch which is carried in said frame on the opposite side of said post.
 3. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 2, including reduction gearing connected between said winch and power means, and a manually engageable and disengageable sprag in said gearing for temporarily securing said winch against turning.
 4. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and has a pair of perforated fastener plates pivotally adjustable relative to the two tubular legs of said frame on rods rotatable therein on parallel axes.
 5. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein there is a cross-brace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame.
 6. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and there is a cross-brace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel coplanar relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame.
 7. A hoisting unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular frame is U-shaped and there is a cross-brace fixed in said frame in spaced parallel coplanar relation to the cross-portion of said frame, and the frame has perforated fastener plates secured between these parallel parts in substantially coplanar relation to the bottom of said frame, there being other perforated fastener plates secured to the remote ends of said legs also in substantially coplanar reLation to the bottom of said frame. 